In a rousing finish to the Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-I), filly Simple Verse got her head over the finish line first from Bondi Beach, who was awarded the victory after a stewards' inquiry Sept. 12 at Doncaster

Kingsbarns went from debut maiden winner to early favorite for next year's Epsom Derby (Eng-I) with a victory over Van Der Neer in the Racing Post Trophy (Eng-I), Great Britain's final group of the year at Doncaster.

Aidan O'Brien has the favorite for the Racing Post Trophy (Eng-I) in the visually impressive debut winner Kingsbarns, who takes a huge step up in class in Great Britain's final group I race for the year Oct. 27 at Doncaster.

The English Triple Crown will have to wait at least yet another year as the brilliant Camelot came up three-quarters of a length short to Encke in his bid to make history in the Ladbrokes St. Leger Sept. 15 at Doncaster.

Sixteen former jockeys will return to the saddle, including Hall of Fame rider Julie Krone, in the Clipper Logistics Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster on opening day of the Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival Sept. 12.

Vendors and sales companies involved in the seven breeze-up sales for 2-year-olds in Britain, Ireland and France over the next three months have got together and announced a £500,000 bonus scheme to tempt buyers.

Sir Michael Stoute had won every other British classic at least twice, but a victory in the Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-I) had always eluded him. After 34 years of training, that omission from his resume was corrected when Frankie Dettori guided 8-1 shot Conduit to a comfortable three length win at Doncaster Sept. 13.

Doncaster's St. Leger sale - the first British or Irish yearling auction of 2008 - failed to match its 2007 figures when ending Aug. 28 in England. The average of 33,649 pound sterling (approximately $61,725) was down 10%, the median of 26,000 pounds ($47,694) fell by 11%. The 13,493,500 pounds ($24,752,207) turnover for the 401 horses that sold dropped by 14.4%.

Day two of Doncaster's St. Leger yearling sale generated a gross of £5,036,500 (approximately $9,281,313), which represented a decline of 17.9% from 2007. The £37,868 average price and £30,000 median price, for the 133 horses sold, fell 4.9% and 4.8%, respectively, Aug. 27. The buy-back rate was 16.4%.

Less than 48 hours after Bushranger provided the St. Leger yearling sale with a third G1 Prix Morny (Fr-I) winner in as many years, the 2008 renewal of Doncaster's flagship auction gets under way Aug. 26 in England. The number of horses cataloged, 500, for the three-day sale is the same as last year, when there was a record turnover of 15,008,600 guineas for 417 head sold. The 35,992-guinea average and 28,000-guinea median were also records.

Glen Boss by name and certainly boss of the group I Doncaster Handicap by nature as the champion rider, who now lives in Hong Kong, swept away his fifth Doncaster with a faultless display aboard the brilliant 3-year-old Triple Honour at Royal Randwick April 26.

Doncaster's April 10 breeze-up sale in England -- featuring 50 fewer lots than in 2007 and reduced from two days to one -- was dominated by a couple of purchases made by agent David Loder on behalf of Godolphin.

Doncaster's two-day October yearling sale closed with a turnover of 1,476,500 guineas (US$2,881,454), marginally up from 2006, when the catalog was significantly larger. The 6,152 guineas ($12,007) average was up 20% and the 4,000 guineas ($7,806) median was a 25% increase.

Doncaster racecourse in the North of England, home to the world's oldest Classic, the St. Leger, was officially reopened Sept. 12 by the Princess Royal and received widespread acclaim from the racing community.

Bargains are relative, of course, but the Australian Easter yearling sale which starts April 18 gained a wonderful 'hook' on its eve when Racing to Win landed the $2 million (Australian funds) Doncaster Handicap (Aust-I) at nearby Randwick.